St Andrews Vancouver Bc

Eviction won't shutter Ministry of Casual Living's artistic ambitions

The sign on a whitewashed, one-story stucco building on a sleepy street looks, at first glance, like a government insignia.

It has white letters on a brown background in the style used by the provincial government in the 1980s. It reads, “Ministry of Casual Living.”

On closer examination, the logo depicts not the provincial crest, but an abstract glyph. Some see in it what looks like an angry person.

You could pass the buildings for days without noticing any activity. With its odd name and abandoned appearance, the storefront generates a vaguely Orwellian feel.

It is located at 1442 Haultain St. in Victoria, at a quiet intersection in a residential neighbourhood where a handful of mom-and-pop businesses cover the corner – a barber, two groceries, a coffee shop, a video store and a used-furniture shop.

If you knock on the door, you might meet Aubrey Burke, a 24-year-old university student who is majoring in art and minoring in business. He is also a part-time janitor for the school board. He introduces himself as the minister of casual living.

“It’s common to walk out the front door and have someone say, ‘Hey. What’s happening in there?’ ” he said. “They want to know, ‘Who are you? What are you guys doing?’ ”

For nearly a decade, this address has been a gallery for emerging artists, as well as a residence for whichever impoverished artist handles curatorial duties. The post comes with no salary, yet the reward comes in offering art to the world. You also get to use the nifty title of minister.

The living quarters are meagre – tiny washroom, makeshift kitchenette. “No shower, no laundry and pretty much no heat,” he said. “It’s cold. A dark, dank cave in the wintertime. It’s like urban camping. I consider it boot camp for the up-and-coming artist.”

A street-front window and a modest display space has been offered to artists since March, 2002. In every year since, the emerging artists have exhibited 50 weekly art shows.

William Hay, Writer: St Andrew's Ball, Vancouver, BC 2011

The St. Andrew's Ball hosted by the St Andrew and Caledonian Society celebrated it's 125th year being the oldest Scottish society in existence in Vancouver.  It is the premier social event for the Scottish community though Robbie Burns Dinner and Highland Games in Port Coquitlam in July attract more, for sure. We learned from the delightful Kayla that the proceeds were part of the fund raising for the Scottish Studies and Piper Band at Simon Fraser University. Heather, a beautiful lady,  one of the program organizers came around and personally welcomed us. The St. Andrew's Ball though had David Lundy as Master of Ceremonies doing a masterful job, piper Kim Reid, soloist Wilma Paton, the Royal Scottish Country Highland Dance Society, the Vancouver Fiddle Orchestra, Grace by Maureen Baird, Donald Paton addressing the Haggis, Honorable Chief Justice, Lance Finch, toasting the Queen, and Cilla Bachop toasting the Twa Lands.  The men were mostly dressed in suits but those highland kilts  cut a fine form on the dance floor while the ladies gowns and scarves were truly magnificent.  The Vancouver Marriott Pinacle Hotel did a fine job of rising to the occasion serving a delicious meal. It was an event where Scots drank Scotch and we were informed that on average a Scot travelled some 900 hundreds miles a year on foot and drank some 20 gallons of liquor, so that it could be deduced that an Average Scot got over 41 miles to the gallon.  The dancing was splendid. There was a Grand March and then we formed 4 and 3 couple groups  to be lead through ancient parlour dances with much confusion and increasing fun as the night moved along. I began writing travel stories in grade 3. My mother was a journalist. I started publishing poetry and photography in high school. Dancing and acting followed with study in England with the world champion after bicycling across Europe. Medical school was also a time of canoeing and cross country skiing.

Vancouver, a history in photographs

A voyage of discovery to the North Pacific Ocean, and round the world, in which the coast of north-west America has been carefully examined and accurately surveyed...

A , VOYAGE TO THE A . NORTI-I PACLFIC OCEAN, 2 ' AND ROUND THE VVORLD. CHAPTER III. Pasfizge to the coefi of Amerz'ca ...

Rough guide to Vancouver

The second edition of the Rough Guide to Vancouverhas been expanded to provide even more in-depth and colourful accounts of this fascinating city.

Home, A Memoir of My Early Years

Featuring over fifty personal photos, many never before seen, this is the personal memoir Julie Andrews' audiences have beenwaiting for.

St. Patrick's Day

A colorfully illustrated retelling of the life of St. Patrick includes six of the legends about the Irish saint and offers interesting facts about how St. ...